Oh fun! My cousin Curtis was there with his girlfriend. Unless you’re my cousin and I didn’t know he took great food pics 
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Somehow you always manage to go a week before my resy and I’m like NO SPOILERS but I’m weak, can’t resist, and your pics are always so good.
I’m stoked 
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The correct answer on this quantum physics mid-term exam question is almost always choice (E):Schrödinger’s chow/cat/cousin/kiss/belly
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… a perfect segue into the single most funniest skit in the history of The David Letterman Show:
“How Many Guys in Spider-Man Suits Can Fit Into Jamba Juice?”
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Chef Go is good at cooking.
Power Ranking (because @PorkyBelly has the better photos)
- Kinki
- Shabu Shabu
- Agemono
- Anago Oshizushi
- Gohan
- Amadai
- Owan
- Katsuo
- Abalone
- Uni Tsukudani
- Karasumi
- Crab with Brains and Tosazu Jelly (only slight difference from @PorkyBelly)
- Sakizuke
- Nuta-ae
Shout out to the end of season Harry’s Berries, the best damn nectarine on planet Earth, and elite tea service.
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i think you were one of the first to try that new crab dish, thanks for the alert.
hope they do a seiko gani in the winter 
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I definitely don’t have your listening skills either because all I caught of his description was the crab and brains
And for the record, even the lowest power ranked dish was still phenomenal!
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Ken’s Top Notch Fruit is the best! Their white peaches are dripping with juice - but my favorite thing is actually their cara cara oranges in the winter
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Warrior: Hayato is extremely refined and should have at least two Michelin stars. It would rank among the top kaiseki restaurants in Tokyo. Dinner last night was one of the best meals I’ve eaten in LA, up there with Somni, Providence, and Urasawa.
Peony: I feel this is for sure the best meal I’ve had this year. Everything was cooked to perfection and was sophisticated. The chef is very creative; he created new dishes that were exciting and really special. He is very knowledgeable and excited to share kaiseki knowledge with us. I absolutely loved the meal and had a great time.
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I haven’t been to tons of Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka etc kaiseki - but I have had a few…and I would say Hayato very much does achieve similar levels of excellence.
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Warrior: yeah. I’ve eaten roughly 70 kaiseki dinners in Tokyo, virtually all Michelin-starred, including 3-4 at the restaurant that Hayato’s chef trained at (Ishikawa). I think Hayato would be top half of those restaurants, probably top third. It’s been a while, and it’s difficult to compare these restaurants objectively even when dining on back-to-back nights, particularly as someone with a Western palate. The very top Tokyo and Kyoto restaurants tend to have more expensive menu options—usually wagyu, even whale one time—but in terms of quality of cooking, I can’t fault anything Hayato is doing.
Let me also say this: the kakiage tempura that Hayato served two nights ago was perhaps the finest I’ve ever had. And I think I’ve eaten at the highly regarded tempura specialist restaurants in Tokyo. Hayato’s version was incredibly delicate. That was the dish that stood out most to me.
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Fall 2021
It’s the start of fall, which means matsutake and crab season 
I’ll be shocked if hayato does not get at least two stars next week, imo the cooking and execution is at or above the current two star restaurants. and even more impressive is there isn’t an army of prep cooks, it’s just chef go, hiro, yuki, richard and i believe one prep cook working 15+ hours a day to create 15 courses.
(new) sakizuke - hokkaido kegani, kani miso, kanisu sauce
delicious sweet leg meat with a ton of umami from the rich, buttery kani miso. served piping chilled, a nice refreshing start.
agemono - kakiage tempura, brentwood corn, hokkaido scallop, mitsuba
(new) sujiko, yamaimo, yuzu zest, dashi
california king salmon roe that’s a bit smaller than ikura and with a thinner skin.
shinogi - anago oshizushi, sesame seed, salt, fresh wasabi
(new) owan - wild oregon matsutake, hamo, green yuzu
a nice summer/fall crossover dish with hamo and matsutake. the aroma of the matsutake hit your nose as soon as it enters the room.
honekiri
katsuo warayaki, chive, myoga, salt, soy sauce
sake steamed abalone, abalone stock cubes, abalone liver sauce, wasabi
binchotan grilled hokkaido kinki, lotus root, sudachi
so damn good.
(new) goma-ae - black mission figs, grilled shiitake mushrooms, spot prawn
similar to the goma-ae in orizume, this was sweet and savory with some acid from the vinegar, a nice palate cleanser after the kinki.
amadai, gin-an (silver ankake), tokyo negi
the lay’s potato chips of the sea
hokkaido uni tsukudani
(new) nabe - matsutake, mizuna, nodoguro
more matsutake, this time cut into bigger pieces to allow you to enjoy its chewy texture. and nodoguro is always a highlight and first time for me having it with kinki in the same meal.
karasumi
gohan - black cod saikyo yaki, mitsuba
chef go will guarantee you don’t leave hungry
harry’s berries gaviota, kinako infused whipped cream
bonus harry’s and ken’s top notch white nectarines
how are the nectarines still so damn good? they taste like they were picked in july.
wasanbon
matcha
fin
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Fuck yeah.
Rice x?
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Only x2
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Good luck tomorrow. I will be trying to reserve on my computer, phone and my wife on her computer for November reservations.
We’re trying to go to Hayato for our first time. Had the bento box 3 times and its been sublime each and every time. November is my wife’s birthday and our anniversary month. So if you have already to Hayato been please step the f*ck off and go in December. Thanks in advance.
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Best way I’ve found success is on mobile turning off wifi (just relying on a great data connection). And then of course refreshing right on the dot 
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Hahahaha.
I hope you are successful.
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